Seecamp 32

[robertrwalsh]

I found that if you shortened other rounds very slightly they would normally work just fine. Since I reload for .32 auto that is not a big deal for me. I understand that European .32 auto ammo is routinely loaded a bit hotter than the American stuff so I wouldn't recommend that. Of course I bought mine mostly as a curiosity and have never actually carried it.

 

[ARgon]

That's a shame.

Have Seecamp owners regrouped somewhere else?

Some formed a spot on FaceBook, and RT, Art Franco, put time in on that. I've never been a member of FaceBook. So much info/tech stuff was loss, really to back, especially the how to videos found in one place. Knowledgeable folks like jimmyd, RT, ect. Seecamp vendors for grips, mag extensions, holsters, and on and on.

 

[ARgon]

More grips

 

[Randall_G]

Some formed a spot on FaceBook, and RT, Art Franco, put time in on that. I've never been a member of FaceBook. So much info/tech stuff was loss, really to back, especially the how to videos found in one place. Knowledgeable folks like jimmyd, RT, ect. Seecamp vendors for grips, mag extensions, holsters, and on and on.

Thanks.

I found the FaceBook spot on an internet search, shortly after the forum closed. Technically, I have a FB account. But I never use it, and am not motivated enough to start now.

I found so much valuable information on the old forum; very helpful for a new Seecamp owner.

 

[DARE]

I had an early one. My dad was friends with Larry Seecamp. They had a "Restricted Edition" that was supposed to be limited to 2000 sets. A .25 ACP and .32 ACP with the same serial number. Dad wound up with a pair numbered 1313. Understand ATF got involved and made them quit this. Only around a hundred sets were shipped.
My father owned a gun store and we were dealers for Seecamp. When the .32 was introduced it was specified to use only the Winchester Silvertip. Don't know if that ever changed.

 

[ARgon]

I was a dealer, and bought directly from the factory, as a manufacturer, I liked having for my customers. Those were great years. Larry ventured into ammo design, after selling the company, I wish that had taken off. I have a 32 slide he engraved his signature, as many I'm sure do. I offered that to a friend, and have misplaced it in my shop.

 

[bph9]

Page 12 of the owners manual speaks to ammo. You can use other brands but hollow point only. NO BALL AMMO - it can damage the chamber I was told by Larry Seecamp. I have used Federal in addition to Winchester. The manual is a very good read especially the introduction/ company history.

https://seecamp.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Seecamp-Manual.pdf

The company also lists these recommendations on line.

Ammo Recommendations - Seecamp Firearms

There is no serial number lookup that I am aware of perhaps a call to the factory in MA can be helpful. Yours is not an early gun.
They also sell holsters and accessories on their website.

I think what Larry meant was that no ball ammo should be used because even if you managed to load one round in the gun by hand feeding a round into the chamber ( it will not fit in the magazine because of the long overall length) pressures would rise because the bullet would be jammed far, too far into the rifling. The result might be an exploding handgun.

You can indeed shoot ball ammo out of the Seecamp but I am "not" telling you to do what I have done and still do. I simply took a cast bullet that was, if I remember correctly, about 71 grains and seated it far enough down in the case so it would fit in the magazine. Now this will raise the pressure and is dangerous to do with full power loads so I just used a "starting" load to lower the chamber pressure and it has worked out just fine, except for one glaring problem. The recoil on this pistol is bad enough with 60 grain bullets but with 71 grain bullets its really out of this world. You will get a rap on your knuckles actually exceeding the brutal Wack vicious Catholic Nuns used to give us with a wooden ruler in grade school.

The recoil on this gun was not the only thing that soured me on this handgun. The other problem is that the pistol has no sights. When you shoot it in order to know "exactly" where you are pointing it you must "tip up" the front of the handgun so high you probably would shoot right over the top of any bad guy you were trying to hit.

The other problem is the long hard double action pull. I can hit a man size silhouette target all the way out to 25 yards with ease with a "single action" pocket pistol (.25 acp size) but with the Seecamp I cannot consistently hit even a man size target as close as 7 yards. To me the "personally" the Seecamp is a totally useless pistol. For those people who are the reincarnation of Annie Oakly and Daniel Boone that can shoot the antenna off of a fly off at 1,000 yards you will probably like the Seecamp very much.

I suppose the Seecamp has some limited use for a person who is not a "gun person", especially a woman who does not shoot at all but only needs protection with a small handgun that will fit in a small purse and when the range would be only at arms length when she was attacked. The hard and long stroke double action pull is somewhat of a safety factor and the gun is instantly ready to fire (no safeties to remember to flick off or no hammer needed to be thumb cocked on the draw. Also despite the "no sights handicap" the "point and shoot" would work even if the shot went really high. It's hard to miss a man size target at arm's length and honestly "arm's length" is the maximum range for me when using a Seecamp.

I do still have my .32 Seecamp and why I do makes no sense at all except I do like its workmanship but I carry a Beretta .25 that shoots like a laser out to 25 yards with no problem at all and its smaller and lighter in weight as well.

 

[ARgon]

Larry's father called it a bad breath gun, stick it in their nose, and pull the trigger. He had an up close personal experience in WWII that remained with him, hence his move to make the 1911 DA with the Seecamp Conversion, and the birth of the Seecamp pocket gun. I carry a lot of guns in a variety of ways of retention. That said, there is always, read that as every day, a Seecamp in my pocket, or on my person. It hits what I point it at, serves my limited purpose.

 

[Randall_G]

Do you know the exact reason why Mr. Seecamp's WWII experience made him a DA advocate? My guess is he felt he would have been dead by the time he disengaged a safety.

 

[ARgon]

Exactly. When you are in touching distance, and want something that says get off of me, a DA is it. He realized that not everyone will have a double action 1911 to press into action, at all times, so enter the Seecamp pistol. I know a guy who keeps one in his nail apron at work. They are made like a vault, and when needed, will function every time with the proper ammo. I had the new release 25, serial number 13, 1-10 stayed at the factory. It would shoot any 25 ammo you could find, unfortunately I got talked out of it.

 

[Abbotson]

Sold my .32 for a Ruger LCP in .380 and never regretted it.
The Seecamp was beautifully made but way too finicky to count on in a pinch.

 

[Rimfire Fanatic]

There are several ammo makers who produce 60gr HP. I've had good luck with Gold Dot and PMC Bronze. Silvertips are hard to find.

Silver tips don't expand worth a darn after a clothing barrier anyway, but they were popular back in the day.

 

[chief38]

While I fully recognize the Seecamp has sort of a cult following, I just have a hard time understanding why in today's day and age it still does. Yes, it is small and compact but only holds 6+1 in 380acp. It has no sights, is unreliable with most readily available ammunition, magazines often need specialized factory fitting and they are hard to shoot well.

In contrast Ruger makes the new and improved LCP Max in 380 which weighs 10.5 ounces, comes with both a 10 and 12 round magazine, has excellent night sights, is totally reliable with almost any ammunition available, is accurate, readily available for about $400+ and new spare magazines fit perfectly right out of the box.

I have shot (friend guns) both the Seecamp .32 and .380 but could never get them to work for more than a few rounds in a row due to ammunition difficulties. Sometimes you just can't find the recommended Silvertips or a couple of other specific rounds people say work. In contrast the Ruger LCP Max eats anything and works!

So while the Seecamp has been a popular cult-like pistol for decades now, I still scratch my head in search for the reason why...... I am not saying the Seecamp isn't a well made, smooth, sort of neat little gun - got that, but today it is just my own opinion there are much better and more viable choices out there with a whole lot less on the negative side. And let's face facts, the Seecamp is strictly for SD purposes and needs reliability with readily available ammo.

 

[ARgon]

While I fully recognize the Seecamp has sort of a cult following, I just have a hard time understanding why in today's day and age it still does. Yes, it is small and compact but only holds 6+1 in 380acp. It has no sights, is unreliable with most readily available ammunition, magazines often need specialized factory fitting and they are hard to shoot well.

In contrast Ruger makes the new and improved LCP Max in 380 which weighs 10.5 ounces, comes with both a 10 and 12 round magazine, has excellent night sights, is totally reliable with almost any ammunition available, is accurate, readily available for about $400+ and new spare magazines fit perfectly right out of the box.

I have shot (friend guns) both the Seecamp .32 and .380 but could never get them to work for more than a few rounds in a row due to ammunition difficulties. Sometimes you just can't find the recommended Silvertips or a couple of other specific rounds people say work. In contrast the Ruger LCP Max eats anything and works!

So while the Seecamp has been a popular cult-like pistol for decades now, I still scratch my head in search for the reason why...... I am not saying the Seecamp isn't a well made, smooth, sort of neat little gun - got that, but today it is just my own opinion there are much better and more viable choices out there with a whole lot less on the negative side. And let's face facts, the Seecamp is strictly for SD purposes and needs reliability with readily available ammo.

I guess that's why they make chocolate and vanilla, as my grandmother use to say. I was at a local gun shop, and saw the Max in the case. I asked to see it, and the owner says "don't go there, see the used one next to it? It's mine"

 

[ladder13]

I always have a Seecamp on me or close nearby. Easy to conceal when bulk counts.

 

[Smith391]

A Milford gun, serial in the 21,000 range. So far I haven't found a serial number list for Seecamp.

There is no serial number lookup that I am aware of perhaps a call to the factory in MA can be helpful.

Based on your serial number, yours would be a 1991-92 production model.

Here ya' go...

 

[gdogs]

I have no problem at all putting 6 rounds into a paper plate at 15 feet. I had read after buying my first Seecamp (decades ago) that you use the "V" formed by the barrel and slide to aim the gun. This is effectively done by using the thug sideways (45 degrees) method. I've never really tried to shoot it further than that, but my guess is I could hit a man-sized target at 20-30 feet without much difficulty, though I can't imagine a situation where I would actually do that. Yes, they have their limitations, but for up close and personal self defense they are more than capable in my opinion.

 

[Law-dog]

That's a shame.

Have Seecamp owners regrouped somewhere else?

No. 20 or so years ago they were the pocket gun of choice, an icon, and you were admired to have one. Then Keltec of all companies created their 6 ounce 32 and later their 380.

Then the entire industry went nuts. Taurus made one, Ruger made the excellent LCP, then SW made the Bodyguard and now they bumped them to 10 rounders that still fit into a pocket.

And all of them shoot better than my Seecamp. Everyone loves the little piece of mechanical majesty, it is just not what people buy or carry for CCW.

Think about it. If you are going on a canoe trip, are you taking a $200 gun or $500 one that might get lost in one of the times your canoe or kayak separates from you in white water? And nobody can hit with them very far at all. I can hit an 8 inch gong at 25 yards with my LCP Custom, about 2 foot pattern with the Seecamp, just very different guns which limits Seecamp sales.

Even collectors only have one or two Seecamps, maybe one in 25, 32 and 380. My opinion.

 

[chief38]

I guess that's why they make chocolate and vanilla, as my grandmother use to say. I was at a local gun shop, and saw the Max in the case. I asked to see it, and the owner says "don't go there, see the used one next to it? It's mine"

While I do not own any Rugers, I have instructed multiple new owners that do. We have fired their guns thousands of times with zero malfunctions while using cheap range ammo as well. ANY manufacturer can produce a lemon or a batch of lemon's over a short run - but to say the new Ruger LCP Max is a "no go there" is in my opinion highly inaccurate. Talk about lemons and poor QC...... just look at S&W's production runs over the last decade!

Again, I am not beating a drum for Ruger as I personally am not an owner or fanboy, but no one can deny their general reliability and their excellent customer service. If anything........ Ruger has stepped up to the plate big time over the last decade improving their quality and never waning in their CS. If and when a Ruger has any issues it gets repaired or replaced quickly with a no hassle attitude. Want extra mag's? Buy them anywhere and they fit and function right out of the blister pack - no special fitting required and IMO is essential for a SD EDC.

An aside is that most people working in a LGS know very little about firearms! All they really do is repeat rumors, half truths and what they hear from unknowledgeable, inexperienced rookies. Hanging around a local gun shop and listening to stories may be entertaining - but should never be taken as Gospel!

 

[mrmike7189]

I had a Seecamp 32acp. It was a high quality pistol.....but the weight and the weird slide lock design made me buy this:

 

[Randall_G]

In California, we were finally able to get the LCP MAX less than a year ago. Indeed, no sorting required, mine has run perfectly right out of the box. And real sights.

But as small as the LCP MAX is, it's still large in comparison to a Seecamp. Which may make a difference for some people in general, or for others under specific circumstances.

 

[harrydog]

I bought my Seecamp 32 in 2005. The only ammo I've ever used with it is Hornady XTP and Gold Dots. I don't shoot it all that much but neither of them has ever malfunctioned. Larry used to recommend shooting half a box of ammo and if there were no malfunctions, save the other half for carry use. I've done that and have a good supply that should be reliable.
The only time I carry the Seecamp is when really small and inconspicuous is a priority.
As far as unreliable goes, the Rohrbaugh R9 was the absolute worst in my experience.

 

[SAFireman]

I have the 380 version. It goes very well with formal clothes, where a larger gun would not.

 

[bph9]

Question:

Since we had so many posts about Seecamp pistols I would like to know if your Seecamp does what my Seecamp .32 does??? If I "milk" the trigger (pull the trigger very slowly for a precision shot) it will misfire every time. On the on the other hand if I pull the trigger quickly and straight through it is reliable.

I might add this condition is not just a Seecamp problem. I have experienced this same problem with revolvers like the "original" Colt Diamondback, and the "original" Colt Python when slowing pulling the trigger in the double action mode.

It seems that when one slowly pulls the trigger in "double action mode" the hammer does not "snap back all the way" before being released to move forward resulting in a very light strike on the primer which causes the gun to misfire.

If you do not have time to run to the range with your .32 Seecamp take an "empty primed case" and try to set it off by "milking the trigger" and see if it fires or not.

 

[CH4]

I've had good luck with anything 60 grain.

 

[WCCPHD]

For me its like American Express. I never leave home without it.

 

[SGT ROCK 11B]

Purchased in 1988, shipped January 1989. $ 215.00


Carter

Back in the 1990s I remember cops paying $1000 for one as they were hard to get.

 

[SGT ROCK 11B]

The Silvertips for carry and the PMC JHP for practice.

 

[CH4]

Question:

Since we had so many posts about Seecamp pistols I would like to know if your Seecamp does what my Seecamp .32 does??? If I "milk" the trigger (pull the trigger very slowly for a precision shot) it will misfire every time. On the on the other hand if I pull the trigger quickly and straight through it is reliable.

I might add this condition is not just a Seecamp problem. I have experienced this same problem with revolvers like the "original" Colt Diamondback, and the "original" Colt Python when slowing pulling the trigger in the double action mode.

It seems that when one slowly pulls the trigger in "double action mode" the hammer does not "snap back all the way" before being released to move forward resulting in a very light strike on the primer which causes the gun to misfire.

If you do not have time to run to the range with your .32 Seecamp take an "empty primed case" and try to set it off by "milking the trigger" and see if it fires or not.

Interesting seeing "precision shooting" and Seecamp used in the same sentence.
I don't know about others, but my example keyholes with all ammo that I've tried. When I called Seecamp customer service, their first question was, " is this about keyholing"? She basically said, it is what it is, live with it.

 

[SGT ROCK 11B]

Do you know the exact reason why Mr. Seecamp's WWII experience made him a DA advocate? My guess is he felt he would have been dead by the time he disengaged a safety.

Walther P-38 is DA on the first shot.

He was German Army and a Russian soldier was on top of him. The first trigger pull never ignited the bullet. The second trigger pull did get the Russian off him.

If he had to do a Tap Rack like a SA pistol he would be dead.